Under the Full Moon

[Rhava]

The house was all a bustle. Father and uncle and my brother were back from the fields, this year's harvest was excellent. As they returned home to our quaint little house in central Krong Hai, my mother came outside with fresh cold glasses of limeade. My grandma was in the back preparing mooncakes, while my 3 little siblings painted lanterns and masks, giggling as they got paint all over each others faces. I smiled, taking in the atmosphere. Another harvest done, thank be to the gods. Tomorrow father and the guys would leave to Muang Ra, the capital of the province, where they would sell our crops. As the sun set I quickly made my way through the long grass to the edge of our estate, where our family shrine lay, sheltered under a banyan tree. My red shoes clacked along the stone path, as I made my way towards the shrine. The shrine was a simple pagoda, with paintings and pictures of my ancestors. I entered the pagoda, and put down my bowl of fresh fruits, an offering to the spirits of my family. I then lit an incense, and quickly prayed for safe journey for father, a long life for my grandmother, and good fortune to my family as a whole. I walked back to my family as the sun was a sliver on the horizon. The family has already gathered along a long wooden table. The table was stacked with an assortment of cooked goods, and my personal favorite, banh deo (mooncakes). We all sat eating, laughing, and enjoying each other's company as the plump full moon rose into the sky. We all sat their, just gazing in awe. Across Rhava people would go to visit their families, and celebrate. We all got up and took out lanterns, and lit them. They all rose up steadily into the night, lighting us in an erie yellow glow until they faded out of site. In the distance the sound of a lion dance and the laughter of children echoed down the fields towards us. Eventually my family started going inside, preparing for the big day tomorrow. I decided to lie down on the carpet like grass, and gaze up at the moon. I could almost see the man on the moon smiling down on me. The stars glistened in the night, as I lay there, a sea of stars. Happy mid-autumn festival.

 

 

Edited February 14, 2022 by Rhava (see edit history)